Fiesole is a small ancient town on the hills overlooking Florence (Firenze). It's one of my favorite day trips from Florence. It can be reached by a short ride by a city bus from St Mark's Square. Fiesole is believed to have been founded by the pre-Roman Etruscans between the 9th-8th BC. The Etruscan walls can still be seen as well as the the ruins of Roman baths and a Roman amphitheater.
You can see the Olive trees all around the ruins.
The Roman Amphitheater is still in use today. One of the things I love about Fiesole and Florence in general is the way they embrace the new. There is modern sculpture all through the ruins.
There is an excellent museum near the amphitheater that has many of the archaeological findings . Everything from sculpture and everyday objects.
Me as a lion.
At the top of the hill which has the most amazing views of Florence is a Franciscan monastery San Francesco. There is a beautiful winding walk up the hill passing houses, small shops, and cafes. There is a museum and you can check out with articles brought back from all around the world. You can also see the monk's cell to see how spartan the quarters were. My favorite is the atrium in the center of the monastery.
#Fiesole #Florence #Firenze #scarpe #Franciscan #Etruscans #archaeology
